A 47-year-old Conshohocken father of three who was found guilty but mentally ill for the beating death of his wife in front of their youngest son shortly before Christmas 2007 has been given the maximum sentence by a Montgomery County judge.

KYW’s Brad Segall reports that Judge Kent Albright called the crime “horrific” and the loss “unfathomable,” and sentenced Joseph Giongo (above) to 20 to 40 years behind bars for the brutal murder of his wife, Bernadette.

The judge also ordered continued mental health treatment for Giongo.

Defense attorney Leigh Narducci was surprised by the sentence, given a diagnosis of major depressive disorder:

“If you read the reports, you read the psychiatrists who talked with him, what he thought he was doing at the time, he thought it was the devil that he was killing.  He didn’t know which one was his wife.  He thought there were imposters in the house.”

He says his client is remorseful and can’t explain what he did.

Prosecutor Wallis Brooks argued for the maximum sentence, saying a lengthy sentence will ensure the family’s and society’s safety. She says Giongo killed his wife after an argument over a takeout food order and money.